Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

As a six-year stage IIIa ovarian cancer survivor, I would like to remind everyone that September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Thanks to modern medicine and daily advancements in the medical field, ovarian cancer is no longer an automatic death sentence. However, it is one of the more dangerous types of cancers because so many of the symptoms can be attributed to less serious conditions. Neither is ovarian cancer an "old woman's" disease. I was diagnosed at 41 years of age.

Sadly, there is currently no test to screen for ovarian cancer, such as the mammogram that is used to detect breast cancer. Therefore, I urge every woman to get annual gynecologic exams and pay attention to what your body is telling you. Check out the American Cancer website, www.cancer.org, to read more about this terrible disease, or simply type "ovarian cancer" in your search engine.

PATRICIA SANDER, Cape Girardeau